Book Review: Harry Potter the Creature Vault by Jody Revenson

The Harry Potter octet displays botanical and zoological plausibility, with naturalism determining all horizontal motions and vertical movements. It expresses the competent cooperation of:

• animators;
• concept artists Wayne Barlow, Rob Bliss, Adam Brockbank, Julian Caldow, Paul Catling, Dermot Power, Andrew Williamson;
• creatures effects supervisor and special makeup effects artist Nick Dudman;
• cyberscanners;
• designers;
• fabricators;
• modelers;
• production designer Stuart Craig;
• sculptors;
• and visual development artist Rob Bliss.

Standard operating procedures furnish all creations individualized personalities, thanks to:

• conceptualists determining the closest mythological and real-life equivalents;
• designers exploring computer generation, creature shop maquettes, effects department models; and
• developers fitting life-size models to cyberscans or practical animations.

Similar procedures likewise guide supervisor Gary Geno’s and head trainer Julie Tottman’s animals.

One set of Harry Potter’s animal acquaintances has real-life counterparts. Its representation is through animal actors:

• Alanis, Maximus, Tommy Maine Coon cats as Mrs. Norris;
• Bandit, Elmo, Gizmo, Kasper, Oh Oh, Ook, Swoops snowy owls as Hedwig;  
• Bella, Bully, Hugo, Monkey, Uno, Vita Neapolian Mastiffs as Fang;
• Cloud and Fern -- Kilbourn deerhounds -- and Scottish deerhound Quinn as Sirius Black’s Animagus;
• Crackerjack, Prince, Pumpkin red Persian cats as Crookshanks;
• Dex rat as Peter Pettigrew’s Animagus Scabbers;
• Mars scops owl as Mars;
• Mrs. P. Head grey tabby as Minerva Mc Gonagall’s Animagus;
• Zeus great grey owl as Errol.

Another set interprets mythological creatures by studying animal actors:

• Burmese python Doris for Basilisk; and
• horse Fado for unicorns.

A third set juxtaposes invention, mythology, and reality:

• anacondas, cobras, pythons, vipers for Nagini;
• golden eagles for Hippogriffs;
• Picts for Cornish pixies;
• sea eagles, vultures for phoenixes;
• sturgeon for Merpeople; and
• timber wolves for Werewolves.

A fourth set keeps plants reality-based:

• mandrakes;
• Mimbulus mimbletonia cacti;
• radish-like Dirigible Plums;
• vine-like Devil’s Snare, Venomous Tentaculae; and
• Whomping Willows.

It leads readers smoothly into the inputs which generate this must-have reader-friendly output and viewer-friendly vault of concept illustrations, fast facts, interactive Eeylops Owl Emporium catalogue, and removable poster, thanks to:

• Harper Design, publisher;
• Insight Editions, manufacturer and producer;
• Jody Revenson, author; and
• Roots of Peace planting of two trees for every one used in Harry Potter: The Creature Vault’s publication.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Hedwig: Harry Potter's personal owl
According to animal trainer Julie Tottman, training the owls to deliver letters was one of the most difficult assignments of her stellar career.
Harry Potter and Hedwig; trompe l'oeil window in High Street, Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, North West England: Tim Green (Tim Green aka atoach), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/atoach/4853699063/

Male red Persian Crackerjack and female red Persian Pumpkin played Crookshanks, purchased by Hermione Granger at Diagon Alley's Magical Menagerie.
Magical Menagerie, Diagon Alley, Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter; April 30, 2016: Kelly Verdeck (wanderland.xyz), CC BY ND 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/rain0975/26733494266/

Mimbulus mimbulina cactus: In "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the cactus is gifted to Neville Longbottom as a 15th birthday present from his great-uncle Algie, who brought the cactus back from Assyria.
Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Leavesden Green, Watford, England: Derek Hatfield (Loimere), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/loimere/8170279565/

"Harry Potter: The Creature Vault by Jody Revenson" (0:42)
Uploaded September 12, 2014, by HarperBooks to YouTube ~ URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyxO3EL1S5I

One of the many memorable creatures in the Harry Potter series is Dobby, a House-elf who was freed from misery in the Malfoy household and later lost his life to save Harry and his companions.
Dobby; illustration by British concept artist Rob Bliss
The Making of Harry Potter; Warner Brothers Studio Tour, Leavesden, England: Gautier Poupeau (La case photo de Got), CC BY 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/lespetitescases/14336435307/

Revenson, Jody. 2014. Harry Potter: The Creature Vault. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers' imprint Harper Design; and San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions.